Key Themes Of The Text

Class - is a crucial theme in the play; people are accorded power and respect according to their class, and the rebellion that has Coriolanus thrown out of Rome is a class-based one. Throughout the play, there are ideas that one's class determines worthiness, autonomy, or amount of intelligence. The play itself validates the patricians' ideas of class, that the people are a collective that are easily guided and deceived, and are unable to handle large amounts of responsibility or decision-making.

Pride  - Coriolanus' fate is mainly steered by this trait; had he not been so governed by his pride, he would have been able to make amends with the people, and may not have even offended them in the first place. Some of Coriolanus' pride stems from his special abilities and his stature as a hero, and this pride keeps him from being a political leader and from being able to save his own career and life through compromise.

Love and battle - Several characters in the play, Aufidius and Coriolanus being the most notable, manage to confuse love and battle in their interactions with one another. This emphasizes how much more important to them war is than their personal relationships; they are consumed by their need for war, and have nothing left over for other areas of their lives. However, this confusion of love and battle indicates a very intense relationship for the pair, and a rivalry that consumes their entire lives.

Rivalry - Displayed in Aufidius' and Coriolanus' relationship, rivalry is portrayed as a relationship exceeding all others in intensity and importance. Included in this rivalry are ideals of soldier-like honour, respect for each other, and a constant striving for improvement.